A remote control signal, such as a signal from a GPS satellite, is received at a servant aircraft. If the remote control signal is valid, a processor on the servant aircraft prevents or inhibits anyone on the servant aircraft from controlling the flight or course of the servant aircraft. The remote control signal controls the flight and/or course of the servant aircraft. The remote control signal may come from an escort aircraft.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method comprising the steps of receiving a remote control signal at a servant aircraft; determining if the remote control signal is valid; and regardless of where the servant aircraft is, inhibiting anyone on the servant aircraft from controlling the flight of the servant aircraft if the remote control signal is valid.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote control signal is a global positioning satellite signal.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote control signal comes from an escort aircraft.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising changing the flight of the servant aircraft in response to the remote control signal.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inhibiting anyone on the servant aircraft from controlling the flight of the servant aircraft includes disabling a pilot input device which normally can be used to control the flight of the servant aircraft by someone on board the servant aircraft.
6. A servant aircraft comprised of a receiver; a processor; and and a pilot input device which normally is used to control flight of the servant aircraft; wherein receiver is adapted to receive a remote control signal; and wherein the processor is programmed to examine the remote control signal to determine if the remote control signal is valid, and regardless of where the servant aircraft is, if the remote control signal is valid, the processor is programmed to send a signal to disable the pilot input device to inhibit anyone on board the servant aircraft from controlling the flight of the servant aircraft.
7. The servant aircraft of claim 6 wherein the remote control signal is a global positioning satellite signal.
8. The servant aircraft of claim 6 wherein the remote control signal comes from an escort aircraft.
9. A method comprising sending a remote control signal from an escort aircraft; controlling the flight of a servant aircraft by use of the remote control signal so that a collision between the servant aircraft and an off limits facility is avoided; and wherein the off limits facility is not the escort aircraft.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the off limits facility is a further aircraft, which is not the escort aircraft.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the off limits facility is a building.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 21, 2002
May 18, 2004
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